


Fifty

by imaginentertain



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Liv is as sneaky as her brother, M/M, Robert Sugden is a geek and a softie, and Aaron isn't as daft as he may appear, and a landmark post on Tumblr, and people who prompt her random stuff, canon adjacent, temporary custody of a fic dog from a friend, what Jen does when she has work to do
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-09-20 11:00:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9488195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginentertain/pseuds/imaginentertain
Summary: In which Robert’s life is defined by a dog, a low bridge, a sander, and fifty thousand pounds.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So for my 50,000th post on Tumblr I decided there had to be fic. And there had to be prompts for this fic. All of which I got into this, so - yay, me!

Aaron had been right.  It would have been easier for Robert to do this himself but that wasn't the point.  The point was that Aaron had to be kept as busy as possible   Chas had offered but Robert had pointed out that it was all about making sure that Aaron didn't relive a moment of what had happened this day last year, and given he'd spent the entire day with her at the beach?

 

Maybe not the best choice to spend the day with her.

 

So Chas was on Liv babysitting duty for the night and they were in The Mill with paintbrushes and a battery operated stereo, there were candles and Marlon on standby to deliver food and beers when Robert sent word.  And, if he could convince Aaron of the benefits, there were sleeping bags and pillows and blankets and they could create their own warmth.

 

But for now they were painting walls.  At least Robert was, Aaron was slapping paint wherever he could reach and there were a few drips that had already dried and would require sanding down before Robert fixed it.

 

The last of the useable light started to creep down the wall and with it went the last shred of Aaron's patience.

 

"Well, that's me done screwing this up.  You done pretending that this is what you wanted to spend your day off doing?"

 

"I'm offended by that," Robert quipped, putting his paintbrush down.  "Why wouldn't I want to spend today with you?"

 

"Oh, it's not that," Aaron said, dropping his brush down so it splattered paint all over the concrete.  (Robert was very glad that the hardwood flooring wasn't coming for another few weeks or so.)  "You've not said a word about the really bad job I've been making—"

 

"You've been doing this on purpose?" Robert half-laughed, gesturing towards the drip streaks and uneven layers.

 

"Wondered how long it'd be before you snapped.  Didn't expect you to last all day."

 

"Yeah, well..." Robert started with a shrug.

 

"Thank you."  Aaron shoved his hands into his pockets and swayed slightly.  "But today, that day... it was a good day.  It was.  It was the hardest day of my life and it... it _hurt_ like nothing else I've ever gone through.  But look at where it's got me," he said, pulling his hands free and holding his arms out.  "What it's got me.  So I'm calling it a good day."

 

Robert smiled and closed the gap between them.  "If you don't need distracting then—"

 

"Oh you're so opening that champagne that you tried to hide in the cool box under the tarp.  Not too sure how I feel about camping out for the night though."

 

"It'll be romantic."

 

"It'll be freezing.  It's February, Robert, and we still haven't sorted out all the windows."

 

"I can think of ways to stay warm," Robert murmured, pulling Aaron in close and leaning in for the kiss when—

 

"NYMERIA!"

 

Liv's voice broke through the moment right before there was the sound of paws on the concrete.  Too late Aaron reached for the dog but she was away from him and through the paint on the floor, tracks joining the splatters on the concrete.

 

"OLIVIA!" Robert yelled.

 

* * *

 

Can we get a dog, Aaron.  I'll look after it, Aaron.  I'll walk it, Aaron.  I'll feed it and look after it, Aaron.  It'll be perfect, Aaron.

 

Robert ran each and every one of those lines through his head as he hooked the lead to Nymeria's collar.  Somewhere between the dog destroying what little good paint job he'd managed to do, Marlon arriving unprompted with the food and some excuse about Carly wanting a night in, and the stupid dog thinking it was her dinner?  Robert's entire plan for the night had gone out of the window about two seconds before his patience.

 

After yelling at Liv she'd run off, then Aaron had done his own yelling.  In frustration Robert had grabbed his coat and stormed out, the damned dog on his heels as if he'd called her.  She even had her lead in her mouth like she'd planned this all along.

 

"You probably did, didn't you?" he growled as he pulled her in closer.  "You don't like me much, do you?"

 

Nymeria didn't respond, she just pulled at her lead, setting the pace for her walk and not paying any attention to Robert's attempts to keep her in line.

 

* * *

 

"Hey, Rob, it's... it's me.  I'm sorry.  I know you wanted today to be perfect and it was, it really was.  Just... call me, OK?  Drop the dog back at the pub and let Liv look after her like she's supposed to.  Then you can come back here and... y'know... look after me?"

 

* * *

 

Robert ended the voicemail and pushed the phone back into the pocket of his jacket.  He tugged on the lead in an attempt to get Nymeria to heel but she still whined and strained in the opposite direction.

 

"It's not too late to send you back," Robert threatened.  "Am sure Paddy can find you another home just as quickly as he found us for you.  Not even 24 hours after Liv makes a comment about getting a dog and you're tearing up the pub."

 

Nymeria whined a little louder, pulling sharply before running back to Robert and then out again to the length of her lead.  She gave a short yelp and finally Robert got the hint.

 

"What?" he asked, moving towards her.  With the slack she ran on further and Robert just followed as she ran off the road and to a small copse a little way into a field.

 

"Nymeria, what—"  He stopped when he saw what she'd sensed.  She bounded over and all but jumped onto Liv, who was curled in on herself at the base of a tree.  She gave the dog a small shove and when she did so the bottle fell from her lap, the liquid spilling out onto the ground.  "Liv..."

 

"Go away, Robert," she said, her voice slurring.

 

Robert sighed, deciding that now was not the time for another lecture on drinking.  Especially when he was the reason she'd done it in the first place.  "Sure, I'd love to let you freeze to death.  Come on."

 

Nymeria was licking at Liv's face, nudging at her in an attempt to get her up but she didn't move.

 

"I don't think the dog is going to let you stay here," Robert said.

 

"She has a name.  Not that you care.  About her or me."

 

"Nymeria isn't going to let you stay here and neither am I," Robert said.  "Just... come back to the pub."

 

"Chas will be mad.  Nicked it from the back room."

 

"No more than usual and maybe this time she'll invest in a locker for her booze.  Come on, Liv," he said, crouching down beside her.  "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

 

"No, I get it.  I wrecked your night with Aaron.  You're going all out to make him happy and I got in the way."

 

Robert inhaled sharply, recognising the subtext.  "You're not in the way, Liv."

 

"Adam and Vic were in the pub, talking about the lack of babies with Chas and Charity.  They were trying to cheer them up I guess, going on about all these things you can do when you don't have a kid to look after.  Chas was all, 'You can go out all hours' and 'stay up late' and 'make all the noise you want'.  And it's like that for you guys with me.  You'd been back together two minutes before I turn up and—"

 

"And Aaron has never been happier.  Trust me, I know your brother.  He doesn't regret a second of it and neither do I."

 

"I'm sorry I ruined your evening."

 

"You'd have ruined it more if you'd died of hypothermia," he said, pulling at her shoulder.  "Come on."

 

He managed to get Liv to her feet and started to steer her towards the road.  Nymeria trotted at their heels, her lead dangling forgotten behind her.

 

"What happens if he goes to jail?"

 

"What do you mean?" Robert asked, trying as best he could to shrug off his jacket while keeping Liv upright.

 

"With me.  What happens to me?"

 

"Nothing," he said firmly, getting his jacket off and wrapping it around her shoulders.  "Not if you don't want.  He made me promise to look after you."

 

"Don't put yourself out," she said, stepping away from him.

 

"No, Liv—"

 

The rest was a blur and lost in a fog of sound and light and cold.

 

* * *

 

Aaron's relief was momentary when he saw Liv, small and frightened, in the family room.  She was on her feet and in his arms but then he caught his breath.  "Where's Robert?"

 

* * *

 

The information came slowly, bits and pieces in the wrong order.

 

The MRI was clear.

 

The x-ray showed a tibial fracture just below Robert's knee.

 

Liv was fine, mild case of shock.

 

Robert was still unconscious.

 

The dog was fine and had run back to the pub.

 

The police were on their way to talk about the fact that Liv was apparently drunk.

 

They weren't worried about Robert and hypothermia anymore.

 

The police were curious about why and how Robert ended up over the bridge and in the stream to begin with.

 

And Aaron didn't have the answers he really wanted.

 

* * *

 

"Can we be done with the underage drinking?" Aaron said.  "Seriously, Liv.  It's getting old."

 

"I'm sorry," she said, her tone unnaturally quiet and lacking its usual defiance.

 

"What happened?"

 

"I... I don't know."

 

"What?  One minute you're walking along and then Robert decides to jump off a low bridge into six inches of freezing water?"

 

"No," she said quietly.  "Aaron, I'm... I'm really sorry, OK?  I never meant for any of this, I just wanted... I wanted things to stay as they are."

 

"Liv," Aaron sighed, "I... I'm sorry.  If I could change things then I would.  Maybe I won't—"

 

"But if you are then I'm on the first plane to Ireland and—"

 

"Whoa, what?" Aaron asked.  "You want to go to Ireland?  Live with your mum?"

 

"No!" she protested.  "I want to stay here, with you, but that's not going to happen, is it?  Not like anyone wants me."

 

"I want you.  Robert does too."

 

"Yeah," she scoffed.

 

"He does, Liv.  We talked about this, about... what if?  One thing he was clear on was that you're staying.  He'd fight for you if they tried to do anything.  He's worried that they won't let him look after you, said he'd have to speak to a solicitor about it."

 

"He said that?"

 

"Yeah.  He cares about you, Liv."

 

"He won't want me now."

 

"Why not?"

 

"Because it's my fault he's in here."

 

* * *

 

"Hey there," the nurse said softly.  "Welcome back.  How are you feeling?"

 

"...L...Liv?" Robert managed to get out.

 

"Your sister is in the family room.  She's fine.  Bit shaken up but she's fine.  The police are here when you're ready, it's just routine."

 

* * *

 

"He was walking me along the road and Nymeria must've seen something, I don't know.  She ran off and I was scared of losing her so I ran off too.  Rob saw the car, pulled me out of the way because I wasn't looking or paying attention at the bend.  Robert saved my life but I was just so angry about Nymeria and I started yelling at him, saying...  Aaron, I said the worst things.  I said he didn't want me, need me around, he should have left me to freeze to death or just be honest and send me to Ireland.

 

"And he stood there and took it and he didn't once fight back.  I went on about the house and how you were doing stuff without me and how you wouldn't have it without me and the money, you never wanted me you only wanted Mum for the trial, stuff like that.

 

"He didn't say anything, Aaron, not once.  He stood there, shivering because he'd given me his damn jacket, and I just... wanted him to say something.  Do something.

 

"So he said he loved me, Aaron.  He finally says something after the horrible things I said and it's that he loved me and I didn't believe him and I... I pushed him.  I pushed him off the bridge and it's my fault."

 

* * *

 

"It's routine, Mr Sugden, we just need to know what happened.  You OK to talk now?"

 

Robert sighed, shifted as best he could in the bed, and nodded.

 

* * *

 

"Why do you think he doesn't care about you?" Aaron asked.

 

"Why would he?"

 

Aaron stifled a laugh, shaking his head.  "It's nothing," he said off her look.  "You are I are too alike," he said by way of a partial explanation.  "But he does love you, Liv.  He really does.  He was the one going on about buying The Mill, for _you_ , because it would give you somewhere to belong.  It's important to him, to us, that you get how much you're wanted and loved.  By both of us.  And you are staying as long as you want, whether I'm there or not."

 

"He said you asked him to promise—"

 

"I was... having a moment," Aaron admitted.  "I was scared and I needed him to reassure me.  He did, he always does.  But I know that if I'd never asked he'd have still done it, Liv."

 

"Yeah, well.  I kinda come with you, don't I?"

 

"That's not why—"  Aaron cut himself off and shook his head.  "Yeah, OK.  Maybe a little part of it at the start was because you're my sister.  But it's not like that now.  He cares about you because of who you are, not who you are to me.  The way he talks about you is the same way he talks about Vic.  You're his sister too, Liv.  He wants you, I know he does, and he will take care of you if... if I'm...  He will be there for you."

 

"He won't now," Liv sniffed, wiping her eyes with sleeves of Robert's jacket.

 

"He will," Aaron said.  "And about the house...  There's something I shoulda told ya before but it didn't seem to matter much.  Not to you, anyway.  When I was doing all the paperwork and stuff I put Robert's name down on the forms.  Your half is still your half, OK?  He's not touching that.  It's just half of my half."

 

"What?"

 

"I know we said about putting the house in our names but it didn't seem right to leave him out of it.  It's on the papers, your half is protected."

 

"I don't care about that.  I'd give him an equal share if it made things better."

 

"Liv, it'll be fine.  He'll be fine.  He's too stubborn to let this be it.  A fall and a broken leg?  He's been through worse and come out just as stubborn."

 

"I never meant for him to get hurt.  I didn't even notice the bridge.  One minute he was there and the next he was gone and he wouldn't wake up.  The water was freezing and he didn't even have his jacket on."  She dug her hands into the pockets, pulling his phone out.  "Meant I had this though.  I think I lost mine in the field."

 

"You got him help, Liv.  That's what matters."

 

"I couldn't get him out of the water though.  He was in there for ages and it was so cold.  I should have taken off the jacket and given it back, I could have tried harder to get him out.  It was so long before the ambulance came and I couldn't stay with him, what if they drove past?  So I left him in the water and he didn't even have my body heat to help him...  What if there's something wrong with him because of that?  Because I couldn't move him?  Because I left him?"

 

"Liv, I can't move Robert at the best of times when he's asleep, and I've got a few weight classes on you.  You can't blame yourself because he overdid the mince pies over Christmas."

 

"But I can blame myself for the broken leg and the head injury and the fact that there's no way he's going to want me around now.  Managed to mess things up, didn't I?  And he hates the dog."

 

Aaron couldn't help but laugh at the way she tacked that on the end.  "Do you really think that she'd still be around if Robert didn't want her?"

 

"He hates her.  Always complaining about her hairs on his stuff."

 

"The other night he stayed up watching some film.  Found him asleep on the sofa with the dog.  Woke him up and I tried to move Nymeria but he said that she'd fallen asleep first, he didn't want to disturb her."

 

"He said that?"

 

"She won't sleep on my side of the room, only Rob's.  She drives him mad, sure, but he adores her.  Ask me I think he believes it makes us a proper family.  And we are, Liv.  You, me, Robert.  No matter what happens, OK?"

 

The door opened and the nurse smiled at them both.  "He's awake and asking for you, Liv," she said.  "Police should be done by now if you want to see him?"

 

* * *

 

"Well, watch where you're going," the officer said as the door opened.  "Thanks for your time."

 

Liv looked from Robert to the officers to Aaron then back to Robert in a panic.  Aaron's hands were firm on her shoulders, keeping her grounded.

 

"Yes, I am that clumsy," Robert grinned.  "Stupid dog lead and me trying to jump free."  Once the door was shut and the police clear he dropped the act.  "You OK, Liv?"

 

"You lied to them."

 

"I told them what happened.  I tripped over Nymeria's lead, I fell, you saved me."

 

"Why?"

 

"Because that's what matters.  We're a family."

 

"Maybe he does deserve his share," she said, looking up at Aaron.

 

"What?"

 

"I was...  It was going to be a surprise," Aaron sighed.

 

"He's put The Mill in your name.  Half of his half, so that's what?  About fifty thousand?" Liv explained.

 

"You've done _what_?" Robert asked.  "Why would you do that?"

 

"Because it's as much your home as it is ours."

 

"No, Aaron.  You can't do that."

 

"I can, I have, so what's the big deal?"

 

"The deal is that this is your home, yours and Liv's—"

 

"And yours," Aaron protested.  "We're supposed to be getting married, Robert, I don't understand why you—"

 

"Because I won't ever let this, let us be about money and stuff.  You and me are not like that."

 

"Yeah, but I'm offering—"

 

"I'm refusing," Robert said pointedly.  "I don't need it, any of it."

 

"Robert—"

 

"Soon as I'm out of here we're changing that paperwork."

 

"We are not," Aaron said.  "You have been going on about us being a family and how is you having no stake in that house helping?  You need to feel like The Mill is as much yours as it is ours."

 

"Can we talk about this later?  It's been one hell of a night," Robert sighed, sinking back on his pillows.  "They gave me some pretty good stuff because of my leg and it's making me tired."

 

"Of course, let's avoid the issue," Aaron snapped.  "I'm... going to get a drink.  Call Vic and let her know you're back to your usual stupid self."

 

Liv watched Aaron go before turning back to Robert.  "I'm sorry."

 

"It's not your fault."

 

"I did push you."

 

"Yeah, but I upset you."

 

"Did ya mean it?  What you said?"

 

Robert sat back up and held out a hand to her.  When she took it he pulled her in closer.  "You are just like your brother, you know?  Can't quite believe it when I say that I love you.  Might end up with a complex at this rate."

 

"I just...  I'm sorry."

 

"I know," he said.  "But it's OK.  It's going to be OK."

 

"Says the guy with a broken leg.  Who lives in a pub with stairs."

 

"I'll just have to sleep on the sofa then."

 

"With the dog?" Liv quipped.  "Aaron told me."

 

"Yeah.  Well.  She's grown on me."

 

"Like me?"

 

"Like you," Robert grinned.

 

"Thank you.  For not telling them what happened.  And looking after me."

 

"Thanks for calling an ambulance."

 

"Your phone," she said, dropping it onto the side.  "Nice screensaver."

 

The screen lit up with the image from Christmas: tacky jumpers and reindeer antlers, reddened cheeks from the snow and grins reminding them of laughs.

 

"It's what you do, isn't it?" he said.  "Have your family on your phone?"

 

"Rob?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"I...  I lo...  I mean...  I'll talk to Aaron.  Talk him 'round.  I owe ya."

 

Robert smiled.

 

* * *

 

"Guess dancing's off the cards then?" Robert quipped as he gripped the crutches.

 

"Maybe for a few weeks," the nurse smiled.  "Bet you cut a mean turn on the dance floor?"  Her hand curled around his arm.

 

"My ex-wife said I spent most of the time of our reception dancing on her feet, so probably not."

 

"Well.  If she's picking fault with what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life then maybe it's better she's an ex."

 

"It was a bit more than my dancing," Robert said, looking over at her in confusion.

 

"Still.  No one should be with someone who finds negatives in everything all the time."

 

Robert said nothing, just gripped the crutches and focused on keeping his balance.  He managed a few laps of his room before the door opened and Aaron filled the hole, staring at the nurse and the hand still in place on his arm, making pointed and fishing comments about his love life.

 

"I imagine me falling in love and having an affair with a man didn't help my marriage," Robert said to the nurse, not once taking his eyes off Aaron.  "Hoping that this one will be better though, if only for the fact that he doesn't expect me to dance at the reception."

 

"Am I interrupting?" Aaron asked.

 

"I should... go," the nurse said.  She left them to the beginnings of an awkward silence without another word.

 

* * *

 

Some things were settled ("Your name is staying on the house, deal with it."), some things weren't ("I can't pretend like me going to jail isn't an option, Robert.").  Some things they found workarounds for ("There is no way Robert is sleeping on my sofa for two months, love.  You'll only sneak down here in the middle of the night and I don't want to think about what you'll get up to or what I might walk in on.  Some things a mother should never see or know.") and some things they decided to leave for later ("I think you'll find my paintwork is art, Robert, and besides.  I did it.  For our home.").

 

What they just had to put up with was Robert's growing frustration at being immobile and stuck.  A cast and crutches made for a foul mood and nothing Aaron or Liv could do seemed to help.

 

* * *

 

"So I have this game," the woman said as she sat next to Aaron.  "PT Bingo.  Get a list of phrases and exercises and you tick off what you see in a session.  Makes the waiting more bearable."

 

"What?" he asked.

 

"I find it helps pass the time.  Who you waiting for?"

 

"Robert," Aaron said.

 

"Alex," the woman said.  "And I'm Alice."

  
"Alex and Alice?"

 

"Yeah, like I've not been hearing that my whole life.  Our parents were... unimaginative."

 

"I'm sorry."

 

"My brother jokes that I have dumped potential boyfriends before it even begins because of their name.  I just... can't stand the alliteration any more."

 

"Maybe not the best time to say my name's Aaron then?"

 

"Got a middle name?" Alice laughed.  "Alice and Aaron...  Nope.  Not happening."

 

Aaron gave a soft laugh.  "Yeah.  At least my ex-boyfriends'  names  were Jackson and Ed. "

 

"I'm glad one of us has a better experience," Alice smiled.  "It's important, isn't it?  How things appear?"

 

"I guess," Aaron said.  "So.  What's on this bingo card?"

 

* * *

 

When Robert hobbled out he paused, scanning the room for Aaron.  He found him by his laugh, looking over at the sound where he found him sitting next to a woman and a man he vaguely recognised.  It took him a while to get over there, plenty of time to size up the situation.

 

The man (Anthony?  Alan?) was sitting a little too close to Aaron, looking at him a little too intensely, laughing a little too loudly at his jokes.  And yes, that was a hand making its way onto Aaron's knee.

 

Robert made it to the table at the same moment that Aaron stood up, pushing away from Artie?  Austin?

 

"I'm sorry," A-man said.  "I just... my sister said..."

 

"Yeah, sorry," Aaron said.  "I'm... he's..." he said, gesturing towards Robert.  "Engaged, bought a house.  Raising my kid sister," he added, holding up his hand to show the ring.  "Sorry."

 

"Don't apologise," Robert said.  "You have nothing to apologise for.  He was the one out of line."

 

"Alex didn't know," the woman said.  "I didn't know.  Aaron didn't say anything about who you were to him."

 

"Let's just go home," Aaron said, putting a hand on Robert's arm and guiding him – as best he could – towards the door.

 

* * *

 

"So," Robert began when Aaron took his invitation to join him.  "Jealousy sucks."

 

"Yeah, it does.  Although it was nice that you got jealous."

 

"Nice?"

 

"To know I'm wanted."

 

"Did I make you think otherwise?" Robert asked, a note of fear under the joke.

 

"No.  But it's nice to know all the same."

 

"I'll always want you, Aaron.  I'm always going to be yours.  Even if you're in jail, even if you're not here."

 

"We haven't talked about that.  I could get up to five years—"

 

"It'll be two or three at most, Aaron.  We'll stand up for you, explain things.  May even get it suspended."

 

"I'm not that lucky."

 

Robert took Aaron's hand and squeezed it.  "I am."

 

"I'm not changing the title on the house."

 

"And I'm not going to give up on you, or Liv."

 

"I know.  And so does she.  She's been your biggest fan of late."

 

"See?  Everyone loves me in the end."

 

Aaron laughed, leaning over and pressing a kiss to Robert's cheek.  "But just to make sure..."

 

Robert watched as Aaron pushed up the trouser leg covering his cast.  Grabbing the marker pen from the table he set about writing on the fibreglass.  When done he replaced the lid and sat back so that Robert could see his handiwork.

 

_IF FOUND PLEASE RETURN TO: AARON DINGLE, THE MILL, EMMERDALE._

 

* * *

 

Robert had managed to escape Chas' fussing and was making his escape down Main Street when Nymeria bounded up to him.  He's not exactly fast and he expected the dog to get bored but she didn't, just paced beside him.  There's was a comment about her being faithful to her master but technically that was Liv so...

 

"Where is Liv?" Robert asked as if she could reply.  He'd had a dream once where Nymeria talked back but never when anyone else was around.  Aaron and Liv had thought he was crazy and had him locked up, so maybe not the best dream to come true.  "If you can talk, don't ever speak to me, OK?" he said.

 

Nymeria looked up at him with something that could only be described as a grin.

 

She followed him to the end of the street and then when The Mill was in view she bounded off down the path to the front door.  It was open but Nymeria sat and waited for Robert to catch up.  Stupid faithful dog.  Robert could hear a Taylor Swift album playing and both Aaron and Liv laughing at something.  He nudged the door open with one of his crutches and hopped in.

 

They weren't alone, Ronnie was there although he looked like he wished he was somewhere else.  Maybe it was memories of this place, maybe it was the fact that Aaron and Liv looked like they were demolishing the place instead of doing whatever they were meant to be doing.

 

"Do I want to know?" Robert asked.

 

The sander in Liv's hand was almost dropped in surprise, and only Aaron's quick reflexes to catch it stopped Ronnie from walking out in defeat.

 

"Liv's helping me fix the mess I made," Aaron said, and Robert hobbled around to see that the wall, Aaron's wall, the one he'd messed up on that fateful day a few weeks ago, was now a mix of sanded patches and painted patches and frozen drips down the wall.  "Well..."

 

"It looks worse," Robert laughed, unable to stop himself.  "You gave her power tools?" he asked Ronnie.

 

"What do you take me for?" Ronnie asked.

 

Robert turned to Aaron who was trying – and failing – to look innocent.

 

"I'm going to ban you from having anything to do with our home," Robert said, "while we still have a home standing.  Just... go break scrap metal instead of breaking our walls and let me and Liv sort this out."

 

"You and me?" Liv asked.

 

"If you want.  Not exactly mobile right now but I reckon we can get a lot of this stuff sorted.  Maybe hold off on the painting until this cast comes off, but we can have fun stripping down the others?  Clearing things out?"  Nymeria, who had been pacing around the shell of the house, came to sit at Robert's feet.  "I love you, Aaron, but clearly you have a greater talent for breaking things than making them.  And that's OK, when that wall needs to come down you can wield the sledgehammer—"

 

"Can I?" Liv asked.

 

"No," Robert and Aaron said at the same time.

 

"Mean," she sulked.

 

"You dropped a hammer on my foot when you were are the yard," Aaron continued, "god knows what you'd be like with something bigger."

 

"Robert will let me," she said.

 

"Robert will not," he replied.  "Robert likes our house in one piece."

 

"Our house?" she asked.  There was that grin that he knew all too well, a grin that was now on Aaron's face, and he was only distracted from it by the sounds of Ronnie packing up his things.  "Thanks, Ronnie," Liv said.  "Owe ya."

 

"No problems, kid," he said as he left.

 

"I... what's going on?" Robert asked, realised this was clearly a set up but not sure on the details or reasons.

 

"Our house," Liv said, repeating his words to her.

 

"This is about my share in this place," Robert sighed, shifting his weight on his crutches so he could lean against the workbench.  "I told you, I don't want it."

 

"Yeah, well, we do," Aaron said.  "And as the majority shareholders, we win."

 

Robert sighed and shook his head.  "It was all I heard when I was with Chrissie – I must be with her for the money, for the status, for the house or the business.  And it was, mostly.  That me... he wasn't the nicest of people—"  At that he looked at Aaron in a way that Liv didn't understand.  "—and I won't go back to being him."

 

"You're not him, though," Aaron said.  "That man lied and blackmailed and threatened and took every advantage he could get in order to push his own agenda.  That's not you, Robert, you just need to look at the last few weeks, months, the last year or so to prove that."

 

"You were there for Aaron during the trial, you took me in, you've been there for me and him...  You lied to the police, you saved my life, and Nymeria likes you," Liv added.  "She's an excellent judge of character."

 

"What?" Robert asked.

 

"She peed on Chrissie's bag," Liv grinned.

 

Robert couldn't help but laugh.  "But this place?  It's yours, it's your money and your family and—"

 

"And you're family," Liv said, surprising both him and Aaron.  "You know you've been a better dad to me than... well...  you know.  You actually care about me.  You..."  She stopped, glanced down in embarrassment and nerves.  "And I believe you.  What you said that night.  I believe you."

 

"Good," Robert said.

 

"So take your share in the damn house," Aaron said.  "We're getting married, what's mine should be yours too."

 

"But fifty thousand—"

 

"It could be ten times that, a tenth of that and I'd still want you to have it," Aaron said.  "The money doesn't mean anything to me, you know that.  What matters is that we're equal in this.  I can't be in a marriage where we're not equal, Robert."

 

"Well, you two will be equal.  I'll be the main shareholder so just remember whose house you're living in," Liv quipped.  "But he's right.  This is how it should be."

 

"It's too much.  People are going to think—"

 

"They can think what they want," Liv said.  "Those of us who know you... who love you?  We think differently."

 

"I..."  Robert sighed and looked down, Nymeria sitting patiently by his crutches.  "I'm not going to win this, am I girl?  She looked up at him, grin on her face and tongue lolling out.  "One condition," he said.  "You stay away from decorating and DIY and no sledgehammers."  That last comment was directed at Liv and she grinned and nodded.  "And your half stays your half.  Always."

 

* * *

 

"I need to pee," Robert quipped as Aaron pushed the bedroom door to behind him, leaving a gap just big enough for the dog.

 

"You've got a bottle," Aaron replied, not rising to the bait.

 

"I thought you loved me," Robert mocked, before holding out an arm in invitation.  Once Aaron was settled against his side he sighed deeply.  "Just out of curiosity, how much of The Mill would you have destroyed to make your point?"

 

"As much as it took."

 

"Bit extreme."

 

Aaron sat up, propping himself on an elbow so he could look down at Robert.  "When Liv called to say that you were in an ambulance I went into autopilot.  Didn't think about anyone or anything else until I was there and waiting for news.  Some nurse asked me to fill in the rest of the forms, Liv had only known so much, and there was this box for next of kin.

 

"I nearly wrote Vic until I realised that it's me.  And it just... it's not just about what we've been through, Robert, it's who we are.  You can't move in this village without running into a Dingle or some place that's got Sugden history, and yet you and me?  We've carved out our own little part in that.  It's like we're our own family, separate from Dingle and Sugden and—"

 

"Flaherty?"

 

"But that's my point," Aaron continued.  "It's not about our names or our histories.  It's about us, the three of us.  Well, four if you count Nymeria."  From her spot on the floor by Robert's side she lifted her head at the mention of her name but then sank back down when nothing came of it.  "So that means we look out for us, we take care of us, and we provide for us.  And we stick together."

 

"You're sounding almost domesticated," Robert laughed softly, pulling Aaron back down next to him.  "Might have to turn you into a house husband."

 

"You'll have to marry me first," Aaron said quietly into Robert's chest.

 

"I will."

 

"If I get sent—"

 

"I'm still marrying you, Aaron.  And we're still moving into The Mill, I'm still going to be there for Liv, and we are still going to be OK."

 

Aaron said nothing in reply, they just lay there listening to the dog snore beside them.

**Author's Note:**

> Maybe come see the next 50,000 posts on [my Tumblr?](http://beautifulhigh.tumblr.com)


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